Atheists Who Love Halloween

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For all those who eagerly await the annual 'unholy' night of October 31st. You are invited to share your enthusiasm for the ancient rituals that mark this holiday. Goblins, Ghosts, Pixies, Witches, Devils and Demons are all welcome here.

Discussion Forum

There is really only one day a year when you can pull all the stops. That's too bad. When I was single and went to a dating site, it seemed that half the women would have at least one Halloween…Continue

If you haven't yet given this topic much thought, you better start NOW! 1954 (Before my time, but close) Even when I was a kid I hated 'store bought' costumes and would design my own, no matter how…Continue

My Son Is GayPosted: November 2, 2010 by Cop's WifeOr he’s not. I don’t care. He is still my son. And he is 5. And I am his mother. And if you have a problem with anything mentioned above, I don’t…Continue

October 28, 2010 Alysa SalzbergT.S. Elliot wrote that April is the cruelest month. But for me, the cruelest month is October.The autumn Parisian wind is a biting, nasty thing that sends icy draughts…Continue

By David BarrettOct. 31, 2010Telegraph co.ukPolice officers will be in a strong position to handle witchcraft-related incidents after receiving official advice on dealing with pagans and witches as…Continue

This was taken from my blog, but I thought it belonged here, instead!I'm writing this from the bay area, California. For a lot of us, Halloween is 'the' holiday of all holidays.Some people love the…Continue

The following painting by the ‘Niederrheinischer Meister’ ['Niederrhein', 'Nederrijn', or 'Lower Rhine' Master] is traditionally titled ‘Liebeszauber’ ['Love Magic' or, less likely, 'Magic of Love']. The painting is held in Leipzig at the Museum der bildenden Künste.

‘Liebeszauber’ is, I believe, the earliest painting that is clearly intended to depict a young and attractive witch in an erotic way. The painting is dated to between 1470 and 1480

In the central section of this painting we have the beautiful young witch, golden-haired and pert-breasted, preparing her love spell. She is sprinkling a mysterious liquid on a heart in a chest by her side. The young witch, modestly, gazes away from the viewer, but she is being observed from behind. The voyeur has a clear view of our witch, but we have a better one; certainly a more erotically charged one. The transparent material is draped over the witch’s right arm, crosses her pubic area and clings to her left leg, heightening her allure without obscuring her nakedness.

It may not be obvious to a modern viewer but the sandals being worn by the witch in this painting also indicate both sexual liberation and aggression. Wikipedia explains that, in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, long and pointed-toe shoes called ‘poulaines’ or ‘Cracowes’ (much like modern Winklepickers), were used to embarrass or excite members of the opposite sex by prodding their private parts under tables in public places. Women rarely wore underwear before the late nineteenth-century. Consequently, the phallic-shaped toe could very easily be wriggled into place, while hidden beneath the long skirts of a squirming female. Liberated and forward young women of the time wore poulaines to return, as much as possible, the favour.

So, here we have a naked, sexually liberated young witch, preparing a love-potion, while being observed fore and aft. Could the erotic intent of the artist be any more clear?